Friday, April 26, 2013

A few weeks ago, we took a trip to Utah and stopped by the Riley Blake Headquarters for a bit of fun and filming. We have an adorable tutorial coming soon to Riley Blake's YouTube channel and a couple videos already on the Fat Quarter Shop YouTube channel. One thing we couldn't wait to chat with the Riley Blake team about is their upcoming Fabric Fest event. Have you heard about this event? Three of the Fat Quarter Shop ladies will be in attendance and it is going to be so much fun!

Cheryl, Debbie and Kimberly will be heading to Las Vegas with Riley Blake Designs from September 9-12 2013 to spend a few days sewing, quilting and creating. Are you interested in joining in on the fun? Go to the Fabric Fest registration site, find out all about the weekend and sign up! We would love to see you in Vegas!

And for even more information, Jina and Cindy filmed a cute little video with all of the Fabric Fest details. Want to find out who will be teaching classes at Fabric Fest? Or get more information about the events of the weekend? Watch the video and head to the Fabric Fest website to sign up!

For one last bit of fun, we have two bundles of Riley Blake Designs' Cotton Solids to give away! Comment below telling us about your favorite memory of a sewing or quilting retreat for a chance to win one of two bundles of Riley Blake Cotton Solids. Contest closes 5/4/2013!

Thanks for playing, everyone! We loved reading about the memories! Winners have been chosen. Congratulations to Karen and The Whelan Family!

Karen in Breezy Point said...
I just got back from retreat--staying up late and getting up early with nothing to do but sew--love it!! My favorite part is seeing what everyone else is working on and being inspired.

and

The Whelan Family said...
I haven't ever attended a real retreat! So sad. I have gone to some all Day sews and I must say that the ladies there crack me up. It is so fun to just listen to them talk...AND...I learned a ton from them.

I've never been fortunate enough to attend a retreat. However, I have fond memories of a marathon sewing event with my mom. We had access to a huge room with lots of large tables one summer when I was about 13. Two machines, patterns, fabric, pins and needles--sew sew sew. The result was a whole new wardrobe for both of us!

I have not had the ability to go to a retreat. I see all the blogs and how much fun they are and cannot wait to find one that I can attend. I would love to make new friends in the quilting world. Thanks,tx(dot)angela(dot)Gibson@gmail(dot)com

My favorite memory of a Quilt retreat was with my friend Tammy and we went to Paducah. IT was a 1st for both of us and we were amazed, inpsired and confirmed that our addiction was healthy and that there were many other women like us.

I have never gone on a quilting retreat but I have enjoyed sewing time with my sister when we visit one another. We stitch and talk and share ideas. We like the same things so it is pretty easy to work on common projects. One sews while the other cuts and irons, then we change positions!

Me and three of my craziest and closest friends. Wasn't anything organized. Just a spur of the moment, "hey, let's do some sewing this weekend" kind of thing. So much laughter, so much joy. Need to do it again soon!

We went to a retreat in Amish country. Ended up in a quilt shop on a dairy farm. Oh my, the aroma of the cows got me into a giggle fit and my girlfriend and I were holding our noses. We kept thinking of the old movie "city slickers". We SOOO did not want to offend the shop owners, but we had stayed up late sewing the night before and we were slap happy. We felt like the class clowns on the bus. Laughter is part of quilt retreats!!

My favorite memory of a quilt retreat is one I attended at Lake Tahoe. The screen door had holes in it and some little raccoons came visiting us! They were cute, but dangerous so we "shooed" them away quickly.

I have never been to a retreat, but one of my favorite quilting memories was in middle school when our geometry class put together a quilt at the end of the year. We hand-sewed our own quilt blocks, and it was so much fun to see the end results.

I would LOVE to go on a retreat, and meet other quilters! Some day...! I started sewing when I was 5, being taught at kindergarten. I loved it, and made tons of stuffed animals during a few years. Got interested in other things after a while, but found my way back to the sewing machine a few years ago, and love it. Again!

I just started quilting about 2 years ago so haven't had an opportunity to go on a retreat. It sounds like a very exciting time, but scary also. I've never spent more than 3 days away from him since we meet 25 years ago! :)

I haven't been to a retreat as they are to far away and money is tight!! Maybe someday I will be able to go to one..Until then I just follow and drool over all the goodies and fabric that come from them! Thank you

My sisters and mom and I get together for quilting for family special events. We have a fantastic time! Cutting, sewing and most of all laughing! We put a lot of love into the gifts we make for our family members!Defytheodds@q.com

I've only been to one, The Sewing Summit in Utah, and it was great fun, I considered it a mini vacation. I also went a day early and spend that time checking out all the local quilt shops and that was awesome too!!

I've never been on a retreat, but I've had sewing marathon sessions with friends. These are the best, because you have one or two good friends with you -- just enough not to get you too distracted from your sewing. My favorite memories are when we've worked on a group project (such as a teacher gift) and just gabbed. I'm sure chocolate was involved too.

This sounds like SO much fun! I would love to be able to go to one of these events in the near future. I am a new sewer, having just started last August and to be surround by all these creative individuals would be a dream!!

I have never been to a sewing retreat of any kind, or any other kind of craft retreat! I would love to go! But.. I can say I have my own...literally all day long at the machine! just recently doing a bargello for my daughter for her birthday next month! And it ended badly...I didn't have enough fabric! But it is 3/4 done so I'll be happy with that!

I've never been to a quilting retreat, but I 'hosted' a very impromptu sewing bee one evening when a few friends came over to help me get three bridesmaids dressed hemmed in a big hurry. The bride thought the dresses were hemmed and didn't pick them up until after the rehearsal dinner! the dresses were full and had to be sewn by hand because the fabric kept 'running' no matter how fine a needle we tried to use. We sewed until the wee hours and were a bit bleary eyed for the wedding, but it was worth it!

I've been to a retreat once many years ago with my guild. It was close and in a posh hotel. Such fun! We all sewed a mystery and as a fairly new quilter, the other ladies were so helpful and encouraging to me.

The closest I have been to a sewing retreat is sewing with my nieces on New Year's Day. My niece has a beautiful great room with so many windows letting the natural light in & we had three machines set up, ironing board & cutting table! Never had that kind of room before, oh, and, Downton Abbey was on - perfect!!!!

I've never been to a quilting or sewing retreat. The closest thing to a retreat was a quilting workshop to make "A quilt in a Day". Had so much fun sewing, cutting and laying out my quilt. Didn't quite get it finished in a day, but came really close. I want to learn more about quilting now that I have more time on my hands.

I haven't ever been to a sewing/quilting retreat, though it does sound like lots of fun. I do adore getting together with a couple of my best friends every couple of weeks to sew, chat, and eat chocolate!

The one quilting/sewing retreat I will remember to my last days was the AQS Quilt Week at Paducah way back in 1995. I traveled from Brisbane Australia with my friend, leaving our menfolk to survive as best they could. We were blown away by the Paducah experience. We squeezed in a workshop every day and attended just about every talk or dinner in the evening. We stayed with a beautiful family with three young boys who were so friendly and hospitable. We slept all the way back to Australia. Bliss.

The closest I've been to a sewing retreat was when I was 14. I spent a week at my Great-Aunt's house. My uncle made me a quilting frame and my aunt taught me to hand quilt. We gardened, played in the sprinklers, at homemade pickles. It was an amazing week with lots of sewing!

As i am new at sewing and just starting to quilt i have never been to a retreat but would love to go given the chance. Sewing has been so relaxing and fun except when i need to take out the seam ripper. lol

I have only been to one sewing retreat and I wasn't able to totally retreat! But the best thing was to have the pattern writer right there in the room with you to magically make all the instructions make sense! It was the best!

Oh, how I would love the bundle. These are always so exciting! I've never had a chance to go to a retreat, very envious of ya'll. But one of my most precious memory is when I first learned how to quit at a lady's church circle. It took me 6 months to hand quit a full size log cabin quit. I'll be giving it to my first grand daughter. That was 30 years ago, and I've been a quitaholic ever since.

The sewing shop where I purchased my machine has a yearly sewing "weekend". Oh, how I love it. I love that the owners really don't care how late you stay - or how much food you eat. My favorite memory is when we get to show off our goodies at the end of the retreat for all to enjoy. Yes, I'll be there again this summer.

My favorite retreat was in a cabin in Idaho. I had plenty of room to lay out my quilt and everyone had such good ideas for me to try. We had all ages and experiences. It was a wonderful relaxing weekend!

I've never been to a retreat or to ANY quilting/sewing event. This is my first year in the quilt world and I absolutely am lovin' it! I could use a bundle like this to get mo' bettah~ thanks for the chance!

I haven't been on a sewing/quilting retreat before but from what I've heard it's a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people as well as new techniques. I hope to have the chance to attend a sewing/quilting retreat one day. Thanks for the chance to win a great giveaway!

Have never been on one, but could only imagine how much fun that would be! In a few weeks a few girlfriends and I are going to the fabric district in LA so we are excited! And have to do a bit of research now that we are going to go!Brianna.byman at gmail dot com

No retreat. But loved quilting with my Grandmother. She had a quilting frame that hung from the ceiling and her friends would come over pull up a chair and all the ladies would guilt and visit. smith_bj1@att.net

I have never been to a quilting retreat, but my best friend and I have had many sewing marathon week-ends! We stay in our PJ's and sew all day. One time another friend called, and we told her we were having a pajama party, so she showed up around noontime wearing her pajamas!

I've never gotten to attend a retreat, but I have wonderful memories of all-day sewing marathons with my mom, who helped me make the cutest little outfits for my daughters. She also gave me all the fabric scraps to make my very first quilt, something she'd never gotten around to doing herself, so I could give my husband something special for our 5th anniversary. (It's lopsided and ugly, and he still uses it, 25 years later!)

I've never attended an organized sewing retreat, but I have fond memories of a vacation in the mountains. I had taken my smocking and while it rained, I sat and stitched with nothing else I had to do! It was so relaxing!

The closest I've been to a quilting retreat was when my uber quilty/sewy neighbor invited me to use one of her 5 machines to machine quilt a big quilt I was finishing for my niece's wedding! It was a lot of fun to have her helping me, and to spend time in her "sew zone"!! :)

I've never been to a "formal" retreat, but my sewing buddies and I have gotten together for sewing days together. We always focus on fabric and food. My best friend and I arrange to meet at Trader Joe's to shop for lunch (always including a gooey chocolate dessert) then go spend the day sewing, chatting, laughing and eating. I'd love to go to one of the multi-day retreats at some time.jane[dot]bitz[at]gmail[dot]com

I've never been to a real retreat, though it sounds wonderful. My local quilt shop has weekend courses you can sign up for which are from 9am to 5pm on Sat & Sun which are the next best thing and always a lot of fun.

I've never been to a quilting retreat, but I have been to needlework retreats. At one retreat 5 ladies from Oregon brought their machines and quilting. When our needlework classes ended for the day, they would return to the suite they had rented to quilt. I was so jealous.

I thought I was the only quilter on the planet that hasn't been to a retreat yet. My sister & I keep planning but something else always gets in the way. Would love to give some of this fabric a new home!

My very first ever retreat was with Lynn at kansas troubles....I have never had so much fin in my life and am happy to say I still love the quilt I worked on while there....please let me win, I would love tha pastel pile of awesomeness........thanx...Susan

Getting ready to go on my first ever Quilting Retreat May 2-5! Two of my close friends and I are going together. One of them signed us up for a quilting class last fall, and here we are - all quilting together and loving every minute! So excited - we are cutting fabrics like crazy to get our projects ready to go. Two ladies who were quilting at a scrapbooking weekend we went to invited us to this quilting retreat. We really have no idea what to expect but I'm sure we will have a wonderful time.

A few years ago, I met up with some of the members of an on-line group I belong to. Members were there from New York, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri. It was a great time and we even went to a quilt show in Chicago, where we met up with more members from Indiana and Wisconsin! The funniest thing was, on the last night, we all were sitting around the kitchen table on laptops, sending messages back and forth to each other! Too fun!!!

My sister and I met with my two daughters which makes them sisters to sisters, oregon for their yearly quilt show. Besides looking at over 1200 quilts we also got to take two classes the day before the show. It was a most joyful experiencing both great classes and good company. I learned alot during the classes. I would really like to win this week's giveaway! janicelashley@gmail.com

I have not evevr been to an organised treat - but we used to have "Stitch and Bitch" sessions when I was studying. It was just girls at first until the boys got jealous! Then used to come and knit, and another used to cook us dinner.I miss those times.

My small quilting group, The Queen Bees, have a weekend retreat once a month (except during the summer). We go different places and check out the restaurants and local culture, and we always have a great time. One especially fun memory is the night we all stripped down (and not in Eleanor Burns' way) and climbed in the hot tub!

I'd love to go on a retreat someday! Instead, my friends and I have sewing nights whenever the mood strikes us! My favorite was my first, when I realized that all my own imperfections were beautiful, and they had their own too!

I've never gone to a retreat but my favorite memory of being with quilting friends is a four-hour bus trip to the Minnesota Quilters show. There was a lot of time for stitching, talking, and snacking on the way, and show and tell about new purchases on the way back. Thanks for the giveaway. This fabric is luscious!

I would LOVE to go on a sewing retreat but there aren't really that many around where I live and children aren't old enough to leave them to travel yet. I do have time though and until then I have my online sewing quilting communities that I adore : )

I've never been to a sewing retreat but recently I made my niece a dress that I LOVE! It was my own design and I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but it turned out exactly how it was in my head :)

I have never been to a retreat and would love to go!!! Especially in Las Vegas where my 2 grandchildren just moved to and I miss them terribly!!!!!! Spend some time doing my favorite hobby followed by time with the kids!!! Dream land!!!

My best sewing memory is not from a retreat! I have never been to one, although I wish I could go to the Fabric Fest!At any rate... My best sewing memory is learning to sew from my grandmother. She was incredible! A true homemaker, war refugee, smarter than anything, and still finding time to raise her children, grandchildren, and do the books for my grandfather's job! She was the best, ever!

Like many others who have commented, I've never been on a real retreat, but have taken a couple of very relaxed "classes" given by a friend to a group of friends. The best part, of course, was the commaraderie and the fun we had all together. We laughed all day!

I have never been to a quilting retreat, but I would love to do that with my mom sometime soon. My mom and I have done a few quilt shop hops, and that is one of my favorite things to do with her. Hanging out with mom, grabbing something good to eat on the way, and quilt shops! Just the best!

Sadly, it's been 2 plus decades since I went to a quilt retreat. We sewed until we couldn't keep our eyes open and in the mornings got up and started all over again. It was a four day retreat and two of those days we just stayed in our jammies. It was -30 degrees and snowing outside and our meals were catered so there no point in wasting time getting dolled up when we could be sewing. ;o) We all worked on the same project. We were all given homework instructions which included fabric cutting prior to the retreat. That made it so we could easily jump right in and sew when we arrived. We made a scrap quilt which included swapping fabric strips with everyone there and were not told what we were making until the end of the 2nd day so there was some suspense and a lot of guessing happening which was a lot of fun. There were 14 of us at the retreat and everyone finished a 70" x 70" quilt top before we left. All of the quilts turned out amazingly different which made the whole retreat grand fun. I would jump at the chance to attend another retreat but I never hear of any retreats locally. I would happily travel several hundred miles to attend if I could just find out where there are some.

Sadly I have never attended a quilt retreat... but my favourite memory from quilting is finishing my first ever quilt and surprising my mother with it as present!What a terrific giveaway. Thanks for the chance to win!

Our little group of quilters (8) has been getting together for a weekend of quilting for the past 2 years. It's so much fun! Crazy stories are told, we learn from each other, and help each other with designs. Our lives, personalities and interests are really diverse so we call ourselves, Mixed Nuts.

I work for the Commission on Aging and have the wonderful opportunity to quilt and have quilting overnights with gals that are 65+. What wonderful knowledge and passion they have shared with me! I have never been to a big quilting retreat but cherish every moment I have at our small quilting overnights!!!

I'm in a little group of women that love to sew and we just had a retreat back in March. It was so much fun ~ sharing, eating, laughing and doing a whole lot of sewing. We do it 2 times a year and it's a whole lot of fun!

The school mascot in our town is an owl, so when a group of us went to a retreat off in another area of the state we chose the name of the Half-Square Hooters. We did a crazy skit and had t-shirts with our group name on the front and the back said - we give a hoot about quilting. It was so much fun!

For the past five years I have attended a quilt retreat twice a year with my friend Wilma. Wilma had cancer which she fought for over twenty five years. The last retreat we attended she came hauling her oxygen and her chemo treatments. She was determined to attend. Well, on the second day she got worse and we had to call her husband to come and get her. We were all sad because we knew she would not attend any more retreats with us. Someone suggested that we all make and sign a quilt block using fabric from the project we were working on and we would make a quilt. Within two hours, we had fourth blocks sewn, signed and assembled. The entire quilt was pieced, quilted and the binding done that evening. I was able to deliver the quilt the next week. She said no one had ever made a quilt just for her. Unfortunately she lost her battle last year but her picture still hangs up at every retreat.

I've been quilting for years but in the past year, I have gotten my sister into quilting. She and I attended QuiltCon in February and took a couple of classes. We had so much fun and I've learned so much. Nothing like a little bonding with your sister!The ladies in my family try to get together once a month for craft day where we all work on our own projects, talk, eat, talk some more. My favorite day!

On one of my first quilting retreats I packed and wore a black knit shirt and pants. The day I wore it, everyone ended up taking my picture because I was covered with so many threads and clippings that you could hardly tell it was black!!

I have never been on a quilters retreat, but always wanted to especially after reading the elm creek quilter books! My favorite memory of quilting was making a quilt for my daughter when i was pregnant. babscorbitt@gmail.com

One of my favourite part of the retreats I've been to was making a name badge for a secret partner...it was great fun working out what to make and then the excitement as things arrived in the mail and reactions to what was made by the group.

I've never been to a retreat, but my favorite memory of a 'group sew' was when I was 7, I woke up and went to get a drink and found my grandmother, mother and aunt sewing furiously to make me beautiful Barbie clothes for Christmas.

I've never been to a quilt retreat, although I would love, love, love to go to one. In my imagination, the retreat is held somewhere in the mountains and the participants are inspired by the beauty all around them. Who knows. - maybe it'll happen someday.

sixty years ago, i wowed my eighth grade home ec sewing class with my sewing expertice ... i could do anything and everything with a sewing machine, but invariably i would have one seam on the wrong side and have to sit and pick. i still do that, try as i might, i'll have one seam backwards.

I have not yet been to a sewing or quilting retreat. I would love to go, but I have not seen an opportunity for one close to my home and with a reasonable cost. When I do see one that is reasonable in cost, it is far away from my home.

I went to a Cindy Needham retreat,only the 2nd retreat I'd ever been too. I was so far out of my depth! But Cindy was wonderful. She didn't care that I wasn't a great piecer, made up my own FMQ designs, hadn't ever drawn a quilting pattern on fabric. She worked with me, shared tips and explained and I had an absolutely marvelous time. The whole experience is one I treasure and i use everything I learned again and again. Thanks.

I live near an Amish settlement. You can rent a house set up for a weekend with your friends, walk to great food and shops filled with fabric and see their quilts. This makes for not only sewing fun, but some inspiration thrown in!

I get together with a friend and we sew projects that are then sold at a yearly fair to raise money to buy school clothes for kids from families in need. Not really a retreat, but it's fun sewing with a friend.

My favorite retreat was last year when I went to a mystery retreat with my 85 year old quilter friend. It lasted from Friday to Sunday and we had a lot of fun. My friend doesn't attend the retreat anymore, but I am getting ready to go again next weekend with another quilting friend.we always have a fun time. Thanks for the chance to win.

I would love to go to this retreat. I've never been to a "fabric retreat" and would love to attend this one. I really enjoy your blogs and learn and see so many new and exciting things. I always look forward to the emails from you. Thanks so much for making your shop so interesting. You're my favorite!

Many years our little quilt group has combined a trip to a local quilt show with a stayover at a hotel, where we bring our sewing machines and sew our brains out until we can't stand it anymore. It's our own version of a retreat. One year, we pooled our stash of chocolate and had a taste-fest of all different kinds of treats.

Oh to even be able to attend a retreat. Classes are always such fun - time with others who love sewing/quilting too. But with my family/caregiver responsibilities I can only manage to be away for short periods. So I do whatever classes I can work in.

My sewing memory was in High School. I took a sewing class as my Home Economic requirement. My final project I decided to sew a pair of pants with pockets. Well I so remember that I had like 15 mins. before class ended and had to turn in my project. I had sewed my pockets to the bottom pants. The fabric was the "flower power" & "Peace" sign all over. The end result was she passed me with a B+. I was ecstatic!

I have no memories of quilting retreats because I've never been able to go on one--unless we can consider my solo "retreats" to quilt at a friend's cabin in the Appalachians or the times over 25 years ago when friends and I got together to stitch Burgoyne Surrounded wallhangings. Actually, I enjoyed both of those events immensely.

I have attended a number of two day workshops that are as close as I get to a retreat. There is always great camaradrie and laughter not to mention usually terrific food. It is often a great way to kick start my quilting mojo.Thanks for the chance to win such lovely solids.Regards from Alberta,Anna